GSA Opens Contracts To State And Local Governments For Disaster Recovery

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that state and local governments will soon be able to order products and services from federal contracts to support recovery from major disasters and acts of terrorism. The change will vastly improve GSA’s ability to assist communities during times of national emergencies. With publication on February 1, 2007 of an interim rule change to 40 U.S.C. 502 in the Federal Register, GSA has begun the contract modification process to make this new support available by spring of 2007.

GSA Administrator Lurita Doan said, “Opening our Federal Supply Schedules means unprecedented delivery speed and best value for state and local agencies directly helping Americans who need it most.” 

For state and local governments to use federal disaster relief and recovery contracts normally only available to federal agencies, purchases must be for recovery from a major disaster as declared by the President under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, or an act of terrorism.  However, GSA’s rule allows state and local governments to purchase these goods and services in advance of such a disaster to allow for rapid response and recovery.

GSA has been working with DHS and other federal agencies to implement this new program.  Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff determined all goods and services on GSA Federal Supply Schedules could be used for disaster recovery, but GSA contracts for Disaster Relief, Homeland Security and Wildland Fire and Equipment should be among the first available to state and local responders. “We’re taking steps today to make most critical contracts available as soon as possible,” said GSA Chief of Staff John Phelps. “This fits perfectly with our reaffirmed agency commitment to focus GSA contracts and expertise where they’re needed most in an emergency, anywhere in the country.”

Beyond these initial offerings, GSA’s entire Federal Supply Schedule of more than 10 million products and services will be opened for state and local disaster relief.  “GSA’s already leveraged the buying power of the federal government to negotiate the most competitive deals with the best of America’s businesses, so let’s put that to work for Americans affected by disasters,” said GSA Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Jim Williams.

For more information visit www.gsa.gov or www.regulations.gov.

Report: State And Local IT Outsourcing To Hit $20B by 2011

By William Welsh
Washington Technology

The state and local IT outsourcing market is expected to grow from nearly $12
billion in 2006 to about $20 billion in 2011, according to a new report.

The Reston, Va.-based market research firm Input Inc. said that state and local
outsourcing is regaining its footing following a period of political turbulence
tied to a backlash in recent years over offshore and welfare outsourcing.

Vendors should expect to see steady outsourcing growth in the market through
2007, which will be followed by a more pronounced increase in 2008.

The increase will stem from growing economic pressure as state budgets are
squeezed by programs such as Medicaid while, at the same time, they become
more open to innovative outsourcing approaches that bring an influx of capital
investment and new jobs to their states.

“Outsourcing remains a political hot button at the state and local levels,” said
Michelle Miller, a senior analyst with Input. “In recent years savvy leaders
have found ways to sell outsourcing plans to state legislators by focusing on an
approach that strikes a balance between cost savings and keeping jobs and
government revenues in-state.”

The result has been notable outsourcing awards in Virginia and San Diego over
the past 15 months. Once one of the two projects is deemed a success, IT
outsourcing should spread to other states and localities, she said.

Increased demand in the areas of data center management, application
management, desktop services and hosting will propel the growth,
according to Input’s report.

But business process outsourcing will not play as large a role as previously
projected in the market, Input said. This is because the majority of elected
officials remain uncomfortable with the political risks of transferring control
of government business processes to a contractor.

For more information, visit www.washingtontechnology.com.

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Update On Election For The Board's At-Large Seat

The NIGP Nominating Committee has received a request from Mr. Keith Ashby, CPPO, Purchasing Manager, Arapahoe County, Colorado, to withdraw his name as a candidate for the Board’s At-Large Seat 15.  The Committee earlier selected Mr. Ashby and Ms. Bobbi Matthews, CPPO, Senior Manager, Administrative Services, Port of Portland, Oregon, to serve on its slate of candidates for this At-Large representative on the NIGP Board of Directors.  Mr. Ashby’s withdrawal leaves Ms. Matthews as the sole candidate on the ballot at this juncture.

However, any eligible member still has the opportunity to petition for this Board seat by notifying Mr. Ed Grant, Chair of the Nominating Committee, of his/her intent by no later than next Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 5PM (Eastern) by registered mail, a confirmation fax, or a confirmation e-mail.  Mr. Grant’s contact information was provided in an earlier Press Release but can be obtained by contacting Rick Grimm, NIGP’s Chief Executive, at (800) FOR-NIGP x235.

If requests to petition for this Seat are received from persons eligible to serve on the Board, the NIGP office will circulate a petition form to the membership for thirty days.  In order to be placed on the ballot for election to this At-Large Seat, the potential candidate must have his/her petition signed by not less than five (5) percent of the total eligible voters (approximately 726 signatures).

Eligible candidates can also still petition for the regional Board Seats that expire June 30, 2007 by notifying Mr. Grant of his/her intent by no later than next Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 5PM (Eastern). Each of these Board seats has at least one candidate who has been placed on the Nominating Committee’s slate announced February 1, 2007:

•  Region 1 representing the States of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
   New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont
•  Region 2 representing the States of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,
   Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia
•  Region 4 representing the State of Virginia
•  Region 5 representing the States of Georgia, North Carolina,
   and South Carolina
•  Region 7 representing the State of Florida and the Territories of Puerto Rico
   and the Virgin Islands 
•  Region 8 representing the States of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska,
   North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

For regional Board seats, the potential candidate must have his/her petition signed by not less than ten (10) percent of the total eligible voters (the actual number of signatures varies depending on the number of eligible national members within each region).

To learn more about the eligibility requirements and responsibilities for a Board member, please visit NIGP Board Responsibilities. 

Please address questions regarding the nominating, petition or election process to Rick Grimm, CPPO, CPPB, NIGP Chief Executive, at rgrimm@nigp.org or at (800) FOR-NIGP x235. [ return to top ]

Volunteer Leadership Opportunities

There are a limited number of volunteer leadership positions available on NIGP Committees for the 2007-2009 term.  If you have considered serving on an NIGP Committee, submit your application no later than March 30, 2007.

The primary role of the NIGP Committees is to represent the membership in recommending policy and program enhancements and program fees to the NIGP Board of Directors for deliberation. The Committees typically meet face-to-face just prior to the opening of the Annual Forum, plus one additional time throughout the year. In some situations, the committees also meet telephonically.  Committee members are responsible for travel expenses related to attending meetings.  In most cases, these expenses are supported by the member’s public agency.

Individuals who are employed by national member agencies are eligible to serve on committees as voting members.  Individuals holding an individual membership in NIGP are also eligible to serve on committees as voting members provided that they are not in student or former public procurement professional status.  All interested members are encouraged to apply.

The term of office for selected committee members will be July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009. If you are interested in serving on an NIGP National committee in 2007-09, please submit an application to the NIGP National Office, c/o the Chief Executive Officer, by March 30, 2007.

You may download the Application Form or contact Sandy Riggs at 800-FOR-NIGP x243.  Send your completed application via email to sriggs@nigp.org, via fax to 703-736-2818 or via mail to 151 Spring Street, Herndon, VA 20170.

NIGP President-elect Ed Grant will review applications after the March 30, 2007, deadline and appointments will be finalized in early May.

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FREE Webinar: NIGP Chapter Officer Orientation

The NIGP Chapter Relations staff is hosting a FREE Webinar for NIGP chapter affiliate leaders and program chairs.  This Webinar is designed to inform and answer questions you may have as an officer of your local NIGP chapter.

Thursday, February 22
1PM - 2PM (EST)
Registration Deadline:  Wednesday, February 14

The following topics will be discusssed:

•  Overview of Calendar Year (programs/deadlines/expectations)
•  Operations (forms/new assessment fee incentives/chapter location 
   on NIGP website/online resource kit)
•  Recognition and Promotion (purchasing month/awards/chapter visit program/
   chapter Forum activities)
•  Revenue Generation Opportunities from National (seminars/GCC program,
   member referral payments)
•  Leadership Training (quarterly, Webinars, Chapter Leadership Symposium)

To participate in this FREE Webinar, please send an email to chapters@nigp.org. Include name, email, chapter affiliation and what Chapter leadership position you hold within the chapter.

Log-in information will be sent to all registered participants a few days prior to the Webinar session. [ return to top ]

FREE NIGP Code Webinar: Explains Two New Major Classes of Commodities

Thursday, February 15th
10AM (CDT)

Periscope Holdings, Inc., an NIGP partner and custodian of its NIGP Code software, conducted a research and development project last fall with assistance from a volunteer committee comprised of current NIGP Code users, vendors and subject matter experts.  The committee was formed to determine a solution for refining Class 725 (Radio Communication and Telecommunication equipment), as its current state does not allow for continued commodity expansion.

As a result of the committee's efforts, two new major classes of commodities were identitied:

Class 838 - Telecommunication Equipment, Accessories and Supplies
Class 839 - Telephone Equipment, Accessoires, and Supplies

The complimentary Webinar on Thursday, February 15th,  will present the project in detail, reveal more about the two new code classes, and discuss the implementation schedule.  Call Periscope today at 512-472-9062 to register.

For more information about the NIGP Code, visit www.nigp.com.

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Call For Proposals: New Courses

NIGP is committed to providing effective training on hot topics that develop and support the public procurement profession.

One way we generate these timely courses is through seminars that are developed and delivered by individual procurement professionals.

Based on the results of a December survey of NIGP membership, NIGP is soliciting proposals for new courses on a variety of topics.

Courseware providers do not have to be certified NIGP instructors, but they do need experience developing and delivering training.

If you would like to submit a presentation proposal, please complete the NIGP RFP For Co-Sponsored Courses.  [ return to top ]

A Historic First: UPPCC Offers Certification Exams At CAPPO Conference

The California Association of Public Purchasing Officers (CAPPO) held their 90th annual educational conference in Napa, California January 22-26.

This years' conference marked the first where the association invited the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC) to administer its Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) public procurement certification exams to conference attendees.

Testing offerings at a conference event have historically been an option reserved only for those attending the Annual Forum hosted by the National Institute for Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (NIGP). As one of two founding members of the UPPCC, conference exams have been a long held tradition for NIGP conference attendees. The National Association of State Purchasing Official (NASPO) is the other founding organization of the UPPCC.

As of May 2006, the leadership of UPPCC now extends beyond the two founding organizations to include four other collegial associations; the Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers (FAPPO), National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), National Procurement Institute (NPI) as well as CAPPO. The expansion to other, well-respected procurement associations lend a much broader review of the content of the certification exams and therefore greater applicability of the UPPCC certifications to the entire public procurement profession.

Several individuals attending the CAPPO Conference took advantage of the limited opportunity to apply their previously earned C.P.M. (Certified Purchasing Manager) certification to bridge to one of the two UPPCC credentials. The bridging opportunity was developed by UPPCC in 2006 to allow those that hold the C.P.M. certification and work in the public sector to earn certifications more closely aligned with public sector practice.  UPPCC will be offering the bridging examinations through 2008.

Seven professionals took the C.P.M. to CPPO oral bridge assessment and all seven were successful in their endeavors.

New CPPOs  



Michael R. Gersch, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing and Contracts Manager
City of Pico Rivera, CA

Daniel S. Marran, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing Manager
City of Sparks, NV

Paul W. Herman, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing Manager
City of Burbank, CA

John P. Coggins, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing & Materials Manager
Orange County Fire Authority, CA

Boyd W. Donavon, C.P.M., CPPO
Assistant Purchasing Agent
County of Ventura, CA

Dawn K, Haddon, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing Manager
City of Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Jon W. Bischetsrieder, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing Agent
City of Santa Clarita, CA

Vice Chairman of the UPPCC, Jim O'Neill, CPPO, presented certificates to the new CPPOs at the Thursday conference luncheon and remarked that

     "it was an honor to share the excitement, enthusiasm and tears of joy from the
     CAPPO members who successfully completed the oral examination for CPPO.
     I witnessed a truly ground breaking event for our organization."

Six other professionals sat for the C.P.M. to CPPB bridge examination and one other sat for the full CPPB written examination. Those examination results were not announced on-site, but some days later after scoring at the UPPCC Headquarters' office.

New CPPBs 

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